Music festival puts crowd at edge of their seats

Members of the jazz band perform a melody during Saturday’s Band Festival at Wilmot Union High School (Earlene Frederick/The Report).

By Jason Arndt
Editor

Drawing inspiration from James Bond, the seventh annual Wilmot Union High School Band Festival took a dangerous turn Saturday, when about 750 students from seven schools came together to rumble Veterans Memorial Field House.

Wilmot Band Director John Sorenson, in his 18th year at the school, told the crowd of about 2,000 people the students hoped to keep them at the edge of their seats.

“James Bond has kept us on the edge of our seats for several generations,” he said. “Tonight the students hope to do just that with the James Bond Theme.”

Chrissy Bagby

The James Bond Theme, however, was not the only music conveyed to the crowd.

Sorenson, and other band directors, decided to expand the theme and call it “Danger!”

Along with Wilmot High School and Sorenson, the festival brought in students from six area feeder programs: Randall Consolidated School, David Dvorak and Jennifer Vanderloop; Trevor-Wilmot, Madeleine Weirick; Riverview, Mallory Friske; Zach Wendt, Wheatland Center School and Chrissy Bagby of Lakewood.

Overall, the band directors and students chose 15 selections for the annual festival.

Wilmot senior Sam Serak said the teamwork between all band directors give her and other students increased enthusiasm.

“I love how enthusiastic all of the directors are, and how they work hard to bring us all together to make this possible.”

For Bagby, a first-year teacher at Lakewood, the band festival was an amazing experience.

Before Bagby came to Lakewood, she spent three years in the Orfordville Parkview District, which is in Rock County.

“The energy is unlike anything I have ever experienced before, there is so much excitement with the kids and this is something we have been working on for months,” she said. “It is a huge explosion of everything.”

She guided the fourth grade beginning bands in “Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow” and helped deliver the grand finale, which was “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa, performed by all students.

The finale, Bagby admits, was nerve-wracking at first, but rewarding.

“Now that this has happened, it is so cool, and I can’t wait until next year,” she said. “It was probably the coolest thing I have ever done.”

Under direction of Wendt, who was also new to the festival, he led the combined fifth through 12th grade bands in a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and also directed the combined junior high school concert bands in “High Voltage” by Randall Stonebridge.

The Wilmot Jazz Ensemble was another new addition to the annual festival, Sorenson said.

Full circle

Wilmot senior Sam Serak delivers a tune in unison with her fellow classmates at the band festival.

Sorenson, meanwhile, believes the festival motivates students to continue music development beyond the grade school level.

“The fourth graders never get a chance to see what it will be like when they are 12th graders,” said Sorenson. “We wanted to get them in the same room performing together.”

Additionally, the festival offers older students an opportunity to see where they started.

“We wanted them to remember what it was like when they started,” he said.

Serak, who came from Wheatland Center School, agreed with Sorenson.

“It is nice as a high schooler, because I get to see where I once was, and get to see the progression throughout the years,” Serak said.

A musical journey
Sorenson best describes the festival as a musical journey of more than one hour, where each student plays a key role in its success.

“The camaraderie of 750 students playing together and trying to get it right in one shot doesn’t happen anywhere else,” he said. “In band, no kid sits on the bench, they are all participating.”

After Bagby directed “Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow”, Friske continued the journey, conducting the fifth grade band in “Gettysburg” by Brian Balmages.

Vanderloop then guided sixth graders in “Running of the Bulls”, written by Michael Story, passing the baton to Weirick. Weirick directed the junior high school concert bands in “Lost Temple” by Jared Barnes.

The High School Symphonic Band, directed by Sorenson, followed with presentation of “Suite from the Hobbit”

Vanderloop followed up, guiding fourth graders in “Imperial March” by John Williams.


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